What do you guys think, I personally think he's saying that because he spent most of his career at McLaren and he doesn't want to upset them by saying, "McLaren are on top form this year." Maybe I'm wrong, anyway heres the link: http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/84954 ... e-Too-Much

_________________"Winning is like a drug...I can't settle for second or third in no circumstances whatsoever" (Ayrton Senna)

What do you guys think, I personally think he's saying that because he spent most of his career at McLaren and he doesn't want to upset them by saying, "McLaren are on top form this year." Maybe I'm wrong, anyway heres the link: http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/84954 ... e-Too-Much

What do you guys think, I personally think he's saying that because he spent most of his career at McLaren and he doesn't want to upset them by saying, "McLaren are on top form this year." Maybe I'm wrong, anyway heres the link: http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/84954 ... e-Too-Much

I agree with what he said

+1

Merc have already admitted they have much work to do. Remember back in Australia 2012 they managed to Qualify right behind the Mclarens.

I still dont think they will be able to match the front runners, if it wasnt For RBRs poor Quali form last season they would never of touched the front in Australia.

Häkkinen has been extremely loyal to McLaren. He's polite and always speaks very highly of his former employer but he isn't privy to any special knowledge about the teams' relative strengths at the moment.

I dont think what he says has got anything to do with his allegiance to Mclaren. He is just speculating like everyone else. If anything he should be backing Mercedes because he raced for them in DTM Until recently. But hes not just patronising anyone

He could well be right but at this stage he is only guessing and I doubt Mercedes will be too devastated by his assessment.

Merc are still recovering from changing the wind tunnel from 50% to 60%. They should have done that earlier. So maybe they can develop the car better this year. However I don't expect Lewis or Nico to qualify P3 in Australia like last year.

I'm not expecting them to be challenging at the front, particularly at the start of the year given how last season ended. Wouldn't rule out a strong finish to the year but it's unlikely in my view, If they're going to make it to the front of the grid then it'll be in 2014.

As much as I love Hakkinen, I cannot agree with him, nor any other person who talks about a certain team or driver and decides how competitive they will be even before the first race.

Truth is, no one really knows how competitive any team/car/driver will be until Melbourne, and that's pretty much it. You can take whatever conclusions you want from testing, but I certainly won't be taking any, not until the first rubber is laid down in Australia.

Mercedes last year had a car with not much development potential, so I expect that they are one of the teams with most work to do. What with all the talk about next year, I do not expect them to divert much resources to this car. I expect their campaign to end just as it did last year, trailing even in midfield come halfway point. Williams were competitive, and dare I say that even Sauber had a better chassis than Merc last year and I do not expect Ferrari, McLaren, RBR, and Lotus to be slower. they'd be lucky if they finish 4-5 in WCC..

TBH not many people are expecting Mercedes to be competitive. Maybe with the rule changes in 2014 they might have some expectations, but there's no reason to think they'd be competitive now. And McLaren are usually competitive enough to win 5/6 races a season, which is quite good. So Hakkinen is really just maintaining the status quo. I mean how surprised would you be if McLaren had the best car and Mercedes had the 4th best ?

TBH not many people are expecting Mercedes to be competitive. Maybe with the rule changes in 2014 they might have some expectations, but there's no reason to think they'd be competitive now. And McLaren are usually competitive enough to win 5/6 races a season, which is quite good. So Hakkinen is really just maintaining the status quo. I mean how surprised would you be if McLaren had the best car and Mercedes had the 4th best ?

It's not really rocket sience from Häkkinen to say McLaren will be strong, when the finished last season with the fastest car, and to think Mercedes has a lot to catch up, but it's much to early to write somebody completely off or to think one team is superior. We should not forget how McLaren threw it away last season, and Ferrari with a slower car was in the WDC fight until the end.

As much as I love Hakkinen, I cannot agree with him, nor any other person who talks about a certain team or driver and decides how competitive they will be even before the first race.

Truth is, no one really knows how competitive any team/car/driver will be until Melbourne, and that's pretty much it. You can take whatever conclusions you want from testing, but I certainly won't be taking any, not until the first rubber is laid down in Australia.

That's true, it is early for conclusions. But on the other hand Hakkinen kind of stated the obvious. This is because Mercedes was not that good in race pace terms last year. And the only thing that they had for them last year (the DDRS) is not going to be there in 2013. So they already have a handicap to start with, if you wish to call it as such.

And don't forget, we already have Hamilton asking for more downforce. We can assume (as safe as it is to assume something!) that they will need to cover a lot of ground if they want to get close and challenge the big three (and I would also count Lotus to be somewhat better).

merc might do better than a lot of people think , mclaren should walk it , but look at em last year , they should have done it then , but bits kept falling off , (joke), but lets see after the next test

merc might do better than a lot of people think , mclaren should walk it , but look at em last year , they should have done it then , but bits kept falling off , (joke), but lets see after the next test

many things MIGHT happen. but expectations are automatically based on probabilities. for example, everyone expected Ferrari and McLaren to remain the strongest teams going into 2009 and the years to follow, and rightly so. you can't blame anyone for not foreseeing Red Bull's ascension. sometimes improbable things just happen.

Is Hakk still in his "Consultancy" role or whatever they called it at Merc?

Perhaps he's paid to bluff! I think the front will be very close whatever happens. Mercedes have had all winter to understand the Coanda effect, the early version of which put old man Michael to P5 on the grid at Texas before suffering alignment problems in the race. They have two fantastic drivers.

I trust Hakkinen to make an informed opinion, Mercedes powered him to two world championships and he raced for them in DTM - he has allegiances to both Merc and Mclaren so this is not a biased viewpoint that everybody seems to be making out.

Like Mika, I'd be very surprised if Mercedes found 1.5secs over a winter with few rule changes.

I trust Hakkinen to make an informed opinion, Mercedes powered him to two world championships and he raced for them in DTM - he has allegiances to both Merc and Mclaren so this is not a biased viewpoint that everybody seems to be making out.

Like Mika, I'd be very surprised if Mercedes found 1.5secs over a winter with few rule changes.

Going on that quote which isn't actually a quote it's more a rumour as it hasn't been said on the record as such it's just the journo saying "I have heard from inside never mind that it's a google translation .

Meanwhile all the other teams have also found time. So they could still need to find 1.5 seconds over and above the other teams.